


Lost and Found

by NachoDiablo



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bounty Hunters, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky on the run, Communication, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 16:38:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16790692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NachoDiablo/pseuds/NachoDiablo
Summary: OPEN: James Buchanan Barnes, alias Bucky, Winter Soldier. LKL: Washoe County, NV, USA. WANTED FOR: Theft, attempted murder, forgery. THREAT LEVEL: 7/10.  RETURN TO: A. Pierce. CONDITION: minimal damage preferred but not essential. PRICE: $75k (DOA $65k)“Shit.” Logan slides off his stool and fumbles with his wallet. He slaps a five on the table as he chugs his second cup before he hurries out the door.As soon as he enters the apartment, he knows he’s too late.--Modern AU where Logan is a bounty hunter, and his latest target is a little too close to home.





	Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

  * For [roe87](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roe87/gifts).



> Written for the [HellYeahLoganBucky](https://hellyeahloganbucky.tumblr.com/) LoganBucky Fest 2018 Week 3 Prompt: Established Relationship.
> 
> Thanks to [muse_in_absentia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/muse_in_absentia) for the beta!

Logan sighs contentedly as he lifts his steaming mug to his lips and takes the first sip. It scalds his tongue, but the sting is worth it as the caffeine seeps into his veins. The cafe might have run-down decour, tedious tourist clientele, and hit-or-miss chow depending on what Pietro’s mood is that day, but Wanda’s coffee is always on point.

He sits at the corner seat at the counter and reads the news on his phone, the noise and chatter of the other patrons ignored. Different day, same depressing goings-on in the world. He downs his coffee and nods in the affirmative when Wanda raises the pot to signal a refill.

The coffee’s nearly at the brim when Logan’s phone chimes. He frowns as he checks his messages. Most of his notifications are muted, except for two numbers. One is the first number listed in his contacts, but that number is set to vibrate. The other, the only one with a sound notification, is his work hotline. A new target is up for grabs.

Most bounty hunters pick up bail jumpers for minimum rewards. Logan isn’t most bounty hunters.

_ OPEN: James Buchanan Barnes, alias Bucky, Winter Soldier. LKL: Washoe County, NV, USA. WANTED FOR: Theft, attempted murder, forgery. THREAT LEVEL: 7/10. RETURN TO: A. Pierce. CONDITION: minimal damage preferred but not essential. PRICE: $75k (DOA $65k) _

“Shit.” Logan slides off his stool and fumbles with his wallet. He slaps a five on the table as he chugs his second cup before he hurries out the door.

As soon as he enters the apartment, he knows he’s too late. 

At first glance, nothing is out of place; the jigsaw puzzle is still three quarters done on the coffee table, the dishwasher hums as it scours the cereal bowls from breakfast, the cat’s bowl is freshly filled with crunchies.

But there’s an empty space on the corkboard in the kitchen, about the same size as a strip of pictures from a photo booth. If that photo strip is gone, so is Bucky.

Logan doesn’t bother checking anything else. When Bucky disappears, he does it right. No slip ups. Logan stops to pet the cat for a minute before he leaves the apartment and heads towards the gym two blocks over. He tries to call Natasha, but she doesn’t pick up, and he doesn’t leave a voicemail. 

There’s a lull at the gym, thankfully, so Steve and Sam are leaning against the counter, exchanging idle chatter while they refill the protein bar display. Steve stops as soon as he spots Logan. A frown mars his face, and he crosses his arms over his chest. 

“I don’t know where he is,” Steve says stubbornly. “And even if I did--”

“Yeah, yeah,” Logan grumbles. “You do know what’s happened, though?”

Sam nods. “He stopped by about an hour ago.” 

“Sam!” Steve looks scandalized, but Sam merely rolls his eyes. 

“Don’t be like that, babe. Your playground pinky swears with Bucky don’t carry over to me.”

“They  _ should _ carry over,” Steve insists. He points dramatically to the silver band around his left ring finger. “For better or worse, remember?”

“When’s the better part gonna kick in?” Sam says with a smirk. He reaches out to lace their fingers together and pull Steve closer. Steve flushes as he grins and leans down to whisper into Sam’s ear.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Logan snaps. “I don’t have time for your sappy bullshit. Time is a factor.”

Steve jumps back, but doesn’t let go of Sam’s hand. “I’ve got nothing to tell you. If Buck wanted you to know something, he’d have told you.”

“This is more important than him slipping off for brooding time,” Logan says through clenched teeth. “Pierce doesn’t fuck around. This is serious.”

Logan narrows his eyes in a piercing glare, but Steve doesn’t flinch. Not surprising. Logan knew Steve wasn’t going to give anything up. He would be bothered by how devoted Steve and Bucky are to each other if he wasn’t frequently forced to watch Steve and Sam make cow eyes at each other every five seconds.

Logan closes his eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath. “Listen,” he says quietly. “If he reaches out to you, tell him he can trust me. Please.”

“We will,” Sam says. Steve looks pained, but Sam squeezes his hand and looks him in the eye. “We  _ will.” _

Steve’s shoulders slump in defeat. “We will,” he agrees reluctantly.

Logan turns on his heel and leaves the gym without another word. He doesn’t stop back in the apartment to grab anything before he jumps into his shitty Subaru and gets on the 80. No point in checking any of their usual places in Reno. Bucky would have gotten on the road and headed the hell out of Nevada at first notice. West is a better option than East. Easier to get lost.

It stings a little, to have Bucky up and disappear without a word. Logan understands that Bucky’s got trust issues. The kid hasn’t had an easy life, and other than Steve, he’s wary of most people these days, particularly if they’re kind to him. But Logan’s been by his side for four years now. They have a damn cat together, for fuck’s sake. How could Bucky think that Logan would give him up to a piece of trash like Pierce?

Logan’s not sure of the specifics of what went down between Bucky and Pierce. That was years ago, before they got together. All he knows is that every so often, Pierce tries to tempt Bucky back into the fold. Logan hates the days when Pierce makes contact. He especially hates the days after, when Bucky runs off to hole up with Steve and Sam.

If that’s even where he really goes. Logan sure as shit doesn’t know.

Now Pierce has a notice out Bucky for some bullshit charges, and it’s a deliberately tempting one at that. 

Thirty minutes into the drive, he tries Natasha again, but has no luck. His radio shorts out, and he punches the dashboard in frustration. This is shaping up to be a pretty shitty day, and it’s going to end in Sacramento, so it’s only going to get shittier.

It’s nearly one in the afternoon by the time Logan nears Sacramento. He sighs as he pulls off the 80 and onto Broadway. At least he’s not going to miss the lunch buffet at Queen Sheba.

He’s not sure why he’s surprised when he walks into the restaurant and spots Natasha and Sharon at a corner table with plates full of injera. Natasha looks up and waves as he enters, while Sharon smirks and stuffs some lentils into her mouth. There’s an empty seat at their table. Naturally.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Natasha says coyly as Logan takes his seat. 

Sharon rolls her eyes. “Good to see you,” she says. “The potatoes are excellent today, if you want to grab a plate.”

“In a minute,” Logan says irritably. “I won’t bother asking how you knew I’d come here.”

“It’s not our fault you’re predictable,” Natasha says with a shrug.

“Yeah, right,” Logan mutters. “More like Rogers has a big mouth.”

“Oh.” Nat widens her eyes in mock surprise. “So you told  _ him _ where you were going, then?”

Logan flips Natasha off before he pushes his chair back and heads to the buffet to load up his plate. When he returns to the table, they eat in silence for a few minutes. After he finishes his collards, he puts down his last piece of injera and looks at Natasha sharply. 

“We need to get it done. Now.”

She presses her lips together and narrows her eyes. “We’re going as fast as we can.”

“Go faster,” Logan snaps. “He’s been getting away with this shit for too long as it is. I’m not gonna let him get his grubby hands on Bucky. Not gonna let  _ anyone _ get their hands on him.”

“Everyone knows that,” Sharon says smoothly. She reaches out and rests her hand over Logan’s. “No one who’s any real trouble is gonna step on your toes to get to Bucky.”

Logan shakes his head. “At that price? With so little difference between unharmed and DOA? Sure they will. Pierce did that on purpose to lure out the riff raff.”

“They said he was only a threat level seven too,” Natasha smirks. “Bet he hated that.”

Logan rests his elbows on the table and drops his head to his hands. “Nat,” he says quietly, “we’ve got enough intel. We’re ready. Pull the trigger. Please.”

The corners of Nat’s lips turn upwards, but it’s not a smile. She nods once. “Done.”

Logan lets out a low exhale. “Thanks.”

Sharon taps her fingers on the table. Her lips are pursed in thought as she gives Logan a calculating look. “Talk to Steve again.”

Logan wants to protest, but the stubborn set to Sharon’s jaw keeps him silent. He moves to pull out his wallet, but Natasha waves a hand carelessly.

“It’s already covered,” she breezes. “Now go get your man.”

Logan scowls, but he gives Sharon’s shoulder a grateful squeeze before he leaves. Natasha gets a rude hand gesture, which she returns with a gleeful smile.

Once he’s back in his car, he dials Steve’s number. It barely rings once before Steve answers.

“Yeah?” Steve’s voice is wary.

“I need to find him,” Logan says without preamble. “The longer it takes me, the more trouble he’s in. You know that.”

“Yeah,” Steve huffs, “I know it.” He clears his throat and pauses for a moment. “He called a few minutes ago. You know where he is.”

The cell phone nearly splinters as Logan tightens his grip. “No, I  _ don’t _ know where he is.  _ You _ know where he is.”

“I don’t,” insists Steve. “He didn’t tell me. He said you’d know, because it’s somewhere you two’ve been before.”

“Well that’s real helpful,” snaps Logan. “In the last four years, we’ve only gone, oh, about a hundred places together. Honestly, how the…”

He trails off and hangs up without saying goodbye. His phone gets tossed to the floor of the passenger’s side as he gets back on the 80 and flies towards the 101. 

It’s nearly six in the evening when Logan follows the tight twists and turns up the coast to Mendocino. He makes a sharp turn before Big River to snake through the backroads into the woods.

After a few minutes on a dirt road, he pulls up in front of a small, rustic house. There’s no car in the driveway. Logan knows one of Steve’s bikes is probably stashed somewhere in the woods. He slams the car door and stomps up the front steps. Not that he’d be able to get the drop on Bucky even if he’s completely silent, but Logan wants to make the effort not to sneak. Either Bucky will be waiting, or he won’t.

The door is unlocked. A pair of black boots are lined up neatly in the foyer. Logan kicks off his own beside them and pads through to the open space living room and kitchen.

Bucky is curled up on the couch, his legs tucked up under him as he stares out the window. Two squirrels run back and forth along the porch railing, tussling over an acorn. The photo strip from their kitchen lies on the side table. It’s too far away to see clearly, but Logan knows the series of photos by heart. It starts with two stiff smiles, and ends in one soft kiss and a pair of bunny ears.

Logan looks around the room. Not much has changed since their last visit, a year and a half ago. Bucky had gawked at the marble mantlepiece, the deer antlers mounted on the wall, the small wooden bear in the corner.  _ We’ve been here before, _ he had said.

Logan had scoffed. _ I never been to Mendocino before. I’d remember those cliffs. _

_ We have,  _ Bucky had insisted.  _ Last year, remember? For Steve’s birthday. Sam made those margaritas that knocked us all on our asses before lunch. _

_ That was Tahoe! _ Logan had laughed.  _ Same state, different direction. We’ve never been here. _

_ Maybe I’ve been here. In some other life.  _ Bucky had grinned slyly. _ With some other guy. Some rich hottie who took me here en route to Fiji.  _

_ Well you’re here with me now,  _ Logan had growled.

They hadn’t talked much after that.

“Guess it’s not deja vu this time. Since we’ve been here before.”

Logan jumps as Bucky’s voice drifts across the room, though his eyes stay glued to the window.

Logan takes a step closer to the couch. “Fury knows you’re here?”

Bucky shrugs. “He knows I’m in one of five potential safe houses.” He turns to face Logan. His face appears expressionless, but Logan recognizes the tenseness in his shoulders.

“Did you really think I’d do it? Turn you in?” Logan struggles to keep his voice steady, but it’s hard when he has to watch Bucky flinch and look away.

“I didn’t…” He trails off before starting again. “I don’t know.”

The admission cuts through Logan cleanly like a scalpel. He abandons all pretense of calm and hurries over to the couch to sit. He cups Bucky’s face, forces Bucky to meet his gaze.

Logan takes a deep breath, licks his lips. “You’ve… you’ve gotta know what you mean to me.” One thumb runs across Bucky’s jawline gently.

Bucky’s eyelashes flutter for a moment as he leans into the touch. “Yeah. I guess I do.” His cheeks flush as he grins. “I came here, didn’t I? Knew you’d find me.”

Logan leans forward to capture Bucky’s lips with his own. They don’t talk much this time, either, as they lean back against the couch entwined together.

An hour later, Logan’s phone chimes. He shifts slightly, making Bucky grumble into his chest as he drops his arm down to feel around for his phone on the floor. Logan smiles broadly as he reads the two alerts on his work line.

_ CLEARED: James Buchanan Barnes, alias Bucky, Winter Soldier. DO NOT ENGAGE. _

_ BREAKING NEWS: Alexander Pierce, 63, a prominent businessman and philanthropist, was taken into custody this afternoon on a dizzying array of charges. The Nevada native has refused to comment, but sources tell us that the evidence against him has been compiled over a number of years [click for link to msnbc article] _

“Mmmphf?” Buck asks, his face still pressed against Logan’s chest. Logan angles his phone so Bucky can read the alerts. Bucky’s eyes widen as he shifts to look up at Logan with a shy smile.

“Years?” he asks softly. “You’ve been gathering intel on Pierce for years?”

Logan shrugs and tries to look nonchalant. “He was bothering you. Nat and I worked with Erik and Charles to get him taken in. Fury and Hill will make sure he stays where he belongs.”

Bucky narrows his eyes. “You hate Erik and Charles.”

“I do.” Logan chuckles. “That should show you how much I like you.”

Bucky presses a kiss to Logan’s collarbone and sighs in contentment. Logan drops his phone back to the floor and runs a hand absentmindedly through Bucky’s hair.

“You’re a free man, now,” Logan muses.

“Am I?” Bucky grins cheekily and taps a finger to the tip of Logan’s nose.

Logan bites back a laugh. “Don’t be cute,” he says, as though Bucky’s not completely adorable at all times. He glances out the window. It’s pitch black out in the woods, now that the sun has set. Far past dinner time. “We can go out, if you want? Grab some food?”

Bucky runs his fingers along the edge of Logan’s hip. “Nah,” he says in a husky voice. “Let’s stay in.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!
> 
> You can find me on [Tumblr](https://samstevebuckyhq.tumblr.com/) flailing over all things MCU. A rebloggable post for this fic is [here](https://samstevebuckyhq.tumblr.com/post/180652724466/lost-and-found-nachodiablo-multifandom).


End file.
